"Avatar" finished No. 1 at the box office for the 7th consecutive weekend, earning an estimated $30 million as it inches closer to overtaking the all-time domestic gross recorded by "Titanic" at $600.8 million.

Mel Gibson's comeback, "Edge of Darkness," finished a distant second with $17.1 million.

"Avatar" stands at $594.4 million and should overtake "Titanic" in a matter of days. "Avatar" has already passed "Titanic" in the overseas box office and is poised to become the first film to gross $2 billion worldwide.

Here are this weekend's Top 5 films based on studio estimates with (cumulative totals), according to BoxOfficeMojo.com:

Saturday, January 30, 2010

More than 400 Hooters restaurants in the United States and Canada will donate all their stores sales (both to-go and dine in, food and beverage orders) for the duration of the 4th quarter of the Super Bowl Game to the Haiti relief effort.

The money raised will go to Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief organization that coordinates the distribution of food and other life-saving aid around the world.

Liberals (and their media allies) underestimate Sarah Palin at their own risk.

She wasn't running for anything in 2009 but still managed to raise more than $2 million for her Political Action Committee.

Palin will be a major player in upcoming elections ... right up to the 2012 presidential race.

From POLITICO:

Sarah Palin raised $2.1 million through her political action committee in 2009, POLITICO has learned, putting the former Alaska governor's take on par with those of her potential 2012 Republican presidential primary contenders.

Palin took in $1.4 million of her total in the last 6 months of the year, after she resigned as governor on July 3. Heading into 2010, SarahPAC, had $900,000 in the bank after contributing $64,600 to dozens of candidates and beefing up its staff from just a handful of operatives.

"We are thrilled," said Meg Stapleton, a senior advisor and spokeswoman for Palin. "Common sense Americans know the direction we need to take this country and that Sarah Palin will be instrumental in taking us there this year. We look forward to the journey ahead!"

Palin's money came predominantly in small donations through the PAC's Web site and a handful of fundraisers. No direct mail solicitations were made.

More than 14,000 people have contributed to the PAC, making 22,000 total donations.

There he goes again. Resident MSNBC nut job Keith Olbermann should be outfitted with a straitjacket and broadcast from a padded room. The man-crush Olbermann has on Barack Obama is bordering on nauseating.

Read more about Olbermann's latest trip to "The Twilight Zone" at NewsBusters.org

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee discusses the Obama administration's failures in dealing with the Christmas Day bomber.

Sen. Collins expresses her incredulity that the bomber was interrogated for only 50 minutes before getting his Miranda rights.

Sen. Collins says, "The Obama administration appears to have a blind spot when it comes to the War on Terrorism. ... Theres no other way to explain the irresponsible, indeed dangerous, decision on Abdulmutallab's interrogation. There's no other way to explain the inconceivable treatment of him as if he were a common criminal. This charade must stop. Foreign terrorists are enemy combatants and they must be treated as such. The safety of the American people depends on it."

"Soon, Pennsylvanians will be able to buy Mega Millions tickets from their local PA Lottery retailers rather than traveling outside of the state," said Lottery Executive Director Ed Trees. "Players will be able to buy tickets for Mega Millions and Powerball, which will give them a chance to play for bigger jackpots four nights a week.

"With a greater number of people playing both games, we can expect to see jackpots roll higher and faster."

The Mega Millions jackpot rolled to an estimated annuity value of $144 million, or $89.5 million cash, for tonight's drawing, which will be the last drawing before Pennsylvania joins Mega Millions.

Mega Millions jackpots start at $12 million, tickets cost $1 per play and drawings are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11 p.m. EST in Atlanta. Every Tuesday and Friday, Pennsylvania players will be able to see televised Mega Millions drawings on these stations and at these times:

Mega Millions tickets will be available for purchase at more than 8,400 Pennsylvania Lottery retailers, where players already purchase tickets for Powerball and other games. Just as with Powerball, Mega Millions tickets will be available for purchase up to 13 weeks in advance and for the same night's drawing until 9:59 p.m.

The Multi-State Lottery Association, which manages the Powerball game, and the Mega Millions consortium reached an agreement in October 2009 on cross-selling Powerball and Mega Millions across U.S. lottery jurisdictions. Prior to the agreement, individual lotteries could only sell either Powerball or Mega Millions.

I know it's not his fault. He keeps telling us it's not his fault, but 140 U.S. banks failed in 2009, the first year of the Obama pesidency. Another 15 banks have failed in January 2010. The Obama Recession continues.

TV ratings for Barack Obama's first State of the Union address were down 7 percent compared to ratings for George W. Bush's first speech.

Doesn't make sense. The media keeps telling us Obama is the most popular person on the planet. There's more people in the U.S. than there were in 2002 and there's more TVs. You'd think Obama's ratings would go through the roof. Nope.

From The Associated Press:

About 48 million viewers watched President Barack Obama's first State of the Union address on 11 networks, with Fox TV drawing the biggest share.

The Nielsen Co. said viewership for Wednesday’s speech was 7 percent lower than for President George W. Bush’s first such address in 2002 but 5 percent higher than for President Bill Clinton’s inaugural State of the Union speech in 1994.

From 9-10 p.m. EST, more than 9.7 million people watched the hour-plus speech on Fox, with ABC drawing 7.6 million viewers, NBC 7.2 million and CBS 6.2 million, according to preliminary Nielsen figures Thursday.

Among the cable news networks, Fox News was the leader with 5.7 million, followed by CNN with 3.3 million and MSNBC with 2.4 million. The speech also was carried live on Telemundo, Univision, BET and CNBC.

A new Rasmussen Reports survey of Americans voters finds that 61% believe Congress is doing a poor job.

In case you get all your information from the Mainstream Media, Congress has been controlled by the Democrats since the 2006 elections.

There is a bright side to the dismal poll numbers. Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will be out as leaders of their respective chambers after the November election when Republicans will win majorities in the House and Senate.

From Rasmussen Reports:

The number of voters who give Congress a poor job performance rating is now at its highest level in more than three years. More voters also think most members of Congress are corrupt.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that 61% of likely voters say Congress is doing a poor job. Just 12% give Congress good or excellent ratings, marking no change from last month. Positive ratings for Congress have changed little from a year ago, when 14% gave the legislature good or excellent marks.

Since then, of course, Congress has passed a controversial economic stimulus plan and unpopular bailout plans for the financial industry, General Motors and Chrysler. The health care plan now stalled in Congress has long been opposed by most voters. In fact, 61% now want Congress to drop health care and focus on jobs.

Forty-five percent (45%) of voters now view most members of Congress as being corrupt, the highest level found since June 2008. Just 28% disagree and say most members are not corrupt. Another 26% are undecided.

This week on Lincoln Radio Journal: Lowman Henry talks with nationally syndicated radio talk show host Michael Medved about his new book The 5 Big Lies About American Business; Doug Keegan of Harris SBSB has a Making Cents look at long term health care; And, Al Paschall has a Somedays commentary on why competition among health insurance companies would bring down health care costs.

This week on American Radio Journal: Lowman Henry talks with Dr. Bryon Allen of Wilson Research Strategies about the political mood of the nation; Andy Roth of the Club for Growth has the Real Story behind President Obama's proposed federal budget freeze; And, Dr. Paul Kengor of the Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College has an American Radio Journal commentary on abortion and school choice.

Even as he encouraged reforms like a freeze on a small portion of the federal budget and a robust disclosure process for Congressional earmarks, President Obama still called for at least $70.46 billion in new federal spending burdens on taxpayers, according to a line-by-line analysis of his first State of the Union speech by the non-partisan National Taxpayers Union Foundation.

Rep. Doug Reichley (R-Berks/Lehigh), vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after today's announcement from Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Acting Secretary Harriet Dichter that the Allentown State Hospital will be closed on Dec. 31, 2010:

"This is a regrettable action by DPW for many reasons. I am very disappointed the department made this decision unilaterally, without consulting local legislators first, and is holding a public hearing to get the input of the patients and workers affected, only after this decision was already made. That hearing will be nearly a month after the closure date announced today. It is obvious that the decision to close this facility was pre-set. It was based more on DPW budgetary issues than on patient care considerations, the impact on patients' families from this dislocation of treatment, or the welfare of the employees who have loyally served these patients for many years.

"I do not believe DPW adequately considered how this closure will affect the 175 patients and their families, or the nearly 380 employees of the Allentown State Hospital who may now have to battle other employees with more seniority for jobs at the facilities where the Allentown patients will be transferred.

"I am disappointed that DPW seems not to have considered keeping the facility open by bringing in patients from other state hospitals.

"I understand the department's need for streamlining its budget, but in doing so, we should not endanger the continuity of mental health treatment for patients now living at the facility. I am concerned this action could disrupt the stability and care so necessary for these individuals with mental disabilities."

Joseph M. Hoeffel III wants to be the next governor of Pennsylvania. He officially launched his campaign this week although he's been talking about running since last fall. Hoeffel served three terms as a U.S. Congressman before a failed bid to unseat Arlen Specter for U.S. Senate in 2004 (when Arlen was a Republican), and an abortive run for Pennsylvania Lt. Gov in 2006. After a stint in the Rendell Administration, Hoeffel settled for the post of a Montgomery County Commissioner in 2008.

So who better to introduce Hoeffel to the rest of Pennsylvania than a resident of Montgomery County? This Letter to the Editor was published in The Pottstown Mercury. It pretty much sums up all you need to know about Joe Hoeffel, who proudly announced this week that he is running as the liberal candidate in the race. I guess Hoeffel didn't hear about the results from Massachusetts yet. If a liberal can't win in the Socialist Republican of Massachusetts, what chance will he have in Pennsylvania? I predict Hoeffel will finish a distant third ... maybe even fourth ... in the four-man race for the Democratic nomination for governor in May.

Joe Hoeffel is a tax-and spend liberal in the Ed Rendell mold

In the Jan. 23 edition of The Mercury on page A5. Joe Hoeffel, the Democratic Montgomery County commissioner, announced that he will enter the Democrat primary for governor in May 2010.

Hoeffel described himself as "a pragmatic progressive" who would continue Gov. Ed Rendell's policies to expand health care accessibility, improve education and create jobs. Rendell's policies? Seven years without presenting a budget on time, granting positions to friends and political contributors and threatening a massive layoff of state employees if you would not vote his way. That's Ed Rendell's record in Harrisburg. Both the state and Montgomery County are running deficits. The county reached this position while Joe Hoeffell and Jim Matthews were in charge.

Hoeffel quote: "I would like to lead the party in a progressive political agenda that is socially liberal and socially responsible." Joe, that's what you did driving the county into the hole. Now you want to do what Rendell almost accomplished.

Hoeffel ran on a platform of political change to break up the "old boy Republican network in Montco ( eh......) that sounds familiar. What did we get? He immediately hired the losing candidates on his slate to high-paying county jobs. In some cases, he hired devotees who where less qualified than other candidates for the position. We got one husband-and-wife team pulling in high six-figure salary due to Joe and Jim's benevolence.

In his first election to county commissioner back in the 1990s, Hoeffel sent out a letter on his old law firm stationery that his new position could lend help to people who needed it. A hair away from being declared influence peddling, he quickly apologized and said it was one of the biggest mistakes of his political career. Irregardless, the message got out. So what did the automatons do ... elected him to Congress.

Joe Hoeffel thinks we are stupid. It is time to stop pulling a party lever. If we learned anything from the presidential election, the country was conned by a Chicago street hustle. Keep this nonsense out of Montgomery County. Get rid of these political drones. It is our only hope.

Can you believe Obama taught Constitutional law? I'm not sure this guy has ever read the Constitution. The Wall Street Journals said Justice Samuel Alito wins the oral, and factual, argument over campaign finance laws that the court recently struck down.

From a WSJ editorial:

In the case of Barack Obama v. Supreme Court of the United States, that was some oral argument on Wednesday night. With the Justices arrayed a few feet in front of him in the House chamber, President Obama blistered their recent decision defending free political speech for corporations and unions. As Democrats in Congress and Cabinet members rose and applauded around them, the Justices sat stern-faced, save for Samuel Alito, who was seen shaking his head and mouthing the words "Not true."

Bravo, Justice Alito.

We're not among those who think the Supreme Court is above criticism. Especially in recent decades as the judiciary has become more political, and has encroached on the powers of Congress and the executive, politicians in the other branches have an obligation to defend their powers. Mr. Obama may have exhibited bad manners in sandbagging the Justices without warning on national TV, but he has every right to disagree with their rulings.

But could a graduate of Harvard Law School at least get his facts right? "Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections," Mr. Obama averred. "Well, I don't think American elections should be bankrolled by America's most powerful interests, or worse, by foreign entities."

While the president talked at length about his plans to create new jobs, he pointedly omitted mention of some 8 million existing U.S. jobs that are currently unavailable to American workers. Those jobs are held by illegal aliens. Moreover, during his first year in office, President Obama has dramatically scaled back efforts to enforce laws against illegal aliens working in the U.S. by curtailing immigration enforcement in the workplace.

Former US Senator Rick Santorum says recent victories by Republican candidates are the direct result of the radical agenda Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats are pushing, but Republicans must offer a clear alternative if they expect to win back the House and Senate in November.

From his new column:

Congressional Republicans cannot count on this kind of tone-deafness alone to win in November. They have to respond to legitimate voter frustration with a positive agenda that includes tax cuts to create private-sector jobs, spending cuts to reduce the trillion-dollar deficit, and policies that keep foreign terrorists out of our civilian courts.

And don't let the Democrats move off of health care. Offer constant amendments to cut health-care costs by reforming the private insurance market and the legal system, as well as measures to increase the number of insured through tax credits for buying insurance, paid for by real budget cuts.

Commonsense problem-solving will look good next to a return to the pathetically counterfeit campaign rhetoric of hope, change, bipartisanship, and transparency. Let's get to it.

Good thing Ben Bernanke's confirmation vote is taking place now and not after November.

If he were in the U.S. Senate today, Pat Toomey says he would vote against confirming Ben Bernanke for chairman of the Federal Reserve.

Toomey, who is seeking the Republican nomination to run for U.S. Senate from Pennsylvania, gave several reasons for his opposition to Bernanke, chief among them was the Fed's central role in precipitating the current economic recession.

From a statement issued by Toomey:

For three years, from 2002 through 2005, the Fed maintained negative real interest rates, taking the nominal Fed Funds rate to a low of 1% in June 2003. These unnaturally low interest rates created a powerful incentive for individuals and institutions to leverage excessively, which created a credit bubble. This, in turn, created the residential real estate bubble, the collapse of which precipitated the crisis.

Mr. Bernanke was a member of the Fed Board from 2002 until he was sworn in as Chairman in 2006, and was a member of the Federal Open Market Committee, the committee directly responsible for setting short-term interest rates.

"This was a difficult decision," Toomey said. "I have great respect for Chairman Bernanke's intellect and expertise, and I believe he has tried to do what he believes is best for the country and its economy. However, Chairman Bernanke's refusal to acknowledge the role the Fed played in creating the current financial and economic crisis leaves little assurance that the Fed will not repeat those errors under his continued leadership."

"In addition, I have concerns about Chairman Bernanke's participation in the extralegal activities in the fall of 2008 and the recent politicization of his confirmation, which raises question about his potential susceptibility to political pressure. I have a lot of respect for Chairman Bernanke, but it is crucial that we learn from the mistakes that led to this economic crisis. Without that acknowledgement, I cannot give him my support."

Obama came into office promising to shatter expectations of what was possible in Washington. The talk then was of a presidential "big bang" — health care, global warming, and financial reform legislation all in one year — and chief of staff Rahm Emanuel boasted that his motto was to "never let a serious crisis go to waste."

With the big-bang strategy officially a failure, Obama's speech revealed in real-time a president groping for a new and more effective one. The speech was woven with frequent acknowledgements that the laws of political gravity applied to him after all.

The first and most pressing legislative goals he identified were a comparatively small jobs bill that has passed the House but is languishing in the Senate, and a Bill Clinton-style menu of tax incentives for business.

Health care, the consuming issue of 2009 and the one on which Obama aides insisted they should be judged, did not show up until more than halfway through.

If we're serious about restoring science to its rightful place, the head of the U.N.'s panel on climate change should step down, says Investor's Business Daily. Evidence shows he quarterbacked a deliberate and premeditated fraud, according to the newspaper.

The latest Franklin & Marshall College Poll has the answers ... and the news is bleak for Barack Obama and the Democrats.

Among the poll highlights:

1) Pennsylvanians continue to express pessimism about the economy. Four in ten (40% compared to 36% in October) say they are financially worse off this year than last, and only a quarter (27%) expects their personal finances to be better off a year from now.

2) Among registered Democrats, Senator Specter leads Joe Sestak (30% to 13%) in the primary race for U.S. Senate, although 50 percent remain undecided. In possible general election match-ups, Pat Toomey leads both Specter (45% to 31%) and Sestak (41% to 19%) among likely voters. Registered Pennsylvanians cite health care (29%) and the economy (24%) as the most important issues in their vote for U.S. Senate.

3) Nearly three in four (72%) Pennsylvania Democrats remain undecided about the primary race for governor. Tom Corbett leads Sam Rohrer (23% to 5%) among Republicans for the gubernatorial nomination, but seven in ten (69%) remain undecided about their preference. Registered Pennsylvanians cite the economy (26%) and taxes (13%) as the most important issues in their vote for governor.

4) Favorability ratings for President Obama have changed slightly since October. His unfavorable rating increased by 5 percentage points, and he is now viewed favorably and unfavorably by equal proportions (44%) of registered Pennsylvanians. Senator Specter's favorability rating has risen slightly to 35 percent (compared to 28% in October), and his unfavorable rating stands at 43 percent (compared to 46% in October).

5) President Obama's job approval in Pennsylvania is the lowest of his presidency, with only 38 percent (compared to 40% in October) saying he is doing an excellent or good job. Senator Specter's job approval has risen slightly to 34 percent (compared to 29% in October), and about three in ten (29%) respondents say he deserves re-election (up from 23% in October). Those who say Specter does not deserve re-election cite his length of service (25%) and party switch (21%) as the main reasons.

6) Pennsylvanians continue to express dissatisfaction with the direction of the state, albeit less so than in October. 53 percent now say the state is off on the wrong track (compared to 60% in October), while 39 percent say the state is headed in the right direction (compared to 32% in October). Nearly eight in ten (78%) registered Pennsylvanians feel state government needs reform, and a similar number (72%) would favor a constitutional convention to review the state's constitution.

7) The job approval rating of the state legislature remains very low with only 16 percent of registered Pennsylvanians indicating it’s doing an excellent or good job, while 74 percent indicate it's doing only a fair or poor job. These figures have changed little since October.

Eleven House conservatives on Wednesday signed a "Declaration of Health Care Independence" at an event staged by Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), and there was no shortage of Revolutionary War rhetoric and tea party references.

Rep. Todd Akin (R-Mo.) compared Scott Brown's victory in Massachusetts last Tuesday to the battle of Lexington in April 1775. The congressmen signed their names at the bottom of the so-called declaration, which had been printed in a small font to mirror Thomas Jefferson's calligraphy.

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) noted that the signers of the original Declaration of Independence put their lives and property at stake. The Republicans who signed Wednesday afternoon appeared to be in no grave political danger, since they all have fairly safe seats.

"Last week Massachusetts fired another shot that was heard round the world," Akin said. "Each of those shots were followed by various declarations. … The shot has been fired now twice in Massachusetts, and this is a declaration."

Freshman Democrat state Rep. Paul Drucker will have a challenger for the 157th House District.

Phoenixville Borough Councilman Kendrick Buckwalter told The Mercury he is seeking the Republican nomination to run for the 157th state House District.

Buckwalter told reporter Dennis Wright he is a mainstream conservative who takes constitutional government seriously.

A Phoenixville resident, Buckwalter is a small businessman and 15-year veteran of municipal government in the borough. He has served as chairman of Phoenixville's zoning hearing board, and has been elected to two terms on Borough Council, where he currently serves. He has also volunteered as a firefighter.

The district includes Phoenixville, Schuylkill and Tredyffrin townships in Chester County, and portions of Lower Providence and West Norriton in Montgomery County.

The seat was held by Rep. Carole Rubley from 1993 until her retirement in 2008. Political insiders blame Rubley's failure to endorse the Republican candidate as her successor for handing the seat to the Democrats in 2008. Drucker beat GOP challenger Guy Ciarrocchi by a margin of 50.9% to 49.1%.

Obama has a bigger task than just giving a good speech tonight. He must regain the nation's trust, which he lost in a year of broken promises argues columnist Kathleen Parker.

From her latest column:

Everybody's ticked, if for different reasons. Tea-party activists are enraged by expanding government, higher taxes (even though many of those in the throng received tax cuts as part of the stimulus package) and health-care reform that, though comprehensive, managed to leave out tort reform. The left is angry because Obama wasn't tough enough to push through legislation despite Democratic majorities in both houses.

Even Obama, the usually imperturbable sphinx -- the man with the straight face and the light-switch smile -- is getting hot under the collar. He doesn't mind a good fight, he says. Perchance, to bring 'em on?

It is traditional for presidents to paint a rosier picture of circumstances than reality warrants, and Obama isn't likely to veer from that script. The hope-and-change agent can hardly wear a sad face as he appraises his first year. But neither can he portray himself as a slugger in chief.

Americans didn't elect a fighter; they elected a visionary who promised a new spirit of cohesion, cooperation and community. While some now may view their romance with hope as a one-night stand, voters are reliably fickle. They can be courted and persuaded, but first they have to trust.

Regaining trust is Obama's real challenge, and being true to his own character is fundamental to that end. Americans know a faux fighter when they see one. If Obama comes out swinging, he is likely to lose.

This story gets worse by the day. Obama's Ministry of Propaganda is not satisfied with controlling the Mainstream Media. It also has to manufacture "letters to the editor" to make it sound like real people support Obama's failing presidency.

Gov. Ed Rendell has named Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris and actress Ana Ortiz of television's "Ugly Betty" to co-chair an advisory panel to ensure compliance with the 2010 Census.

"Each year, more than $400 billion in federal funds are allocated based in all or in part on the results of the Census," Rendell said. "That's more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period for critical things like schools, senior centers, job training centers, bridges, highways, public transit, and local emergency response services and training – a larger amount than many people realize."

Rendell said Pennsylvania cannot afford for any resident to skip participating in the Census, which involves answering only 10 questions and takes just 10 minutes to complete.

"According to the accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, Pennsylvania's population in the 2000 Census was undercounted by 102,000 peoplem," Rendell said. "That's the equivalent of missing the cities of Altoona and Lancaster combined, or failing to count the entire city of Erie. We cannot let that happen again; there is too much at stake."

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." – 10th Amendment to the United States Constitution

This week the talk of Washington and much of country was about Scott Brown's win in the special election to replace Sen. Ted Kennedy. With determination and a message that appealed to independent voters in Massachusetts, Brown shocked the country to become the first Republican Senator from the state in almost four decades.

There is almost no end to the speculation about why Brown was able to come from behind and win the seat. A critical difference between Brown and his opponent, however, was his stand against the current healthcare reform effort.

Brown repeatedly spoke out against the bills currently being considered in Washington, but yet he voted for and continues to support the 2006 Massachusetts healthcare law. Many Congressional Democrats point to Massachusetts as a model for national healthcare reform. But why would Brown oppose a national bill actually based on a state law he supports?

In part, because other states have not taken the same measures as Massachusetts and also because of the backroom deals cut in order to gain the support of critical Senators. Brown doesn’t believe that his state should be subject to billions in new taxes when it is still working to fix its own system.

The people of Massachusetts this week elected a Senator who would honestly represent their concerns in Washington, not the agenda of a political party. I think that the people of Massachusetts are rediscovering the wisdom of federalism.

Individual states have different characteristics and concerns so naturally political solutions will vary from state to state. The Founders, in their wisdom, created a political system that would limit the reach of the national government. They wanted to preserve freedom, and they knew that a powerful national government could easily lead to a tyranny of the majority.

Now Congress is considering a massive healthcare reform bill. Both the House and Senate bills are more than 2,000 pages long. The total costs for these bills rise to more than a trillion dollars each. There are hundreds of billions of dollars in tax increases and hundreds of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicare spending in these bills. Every person in the country would be greatly affected by a single piece of legislation.

This has a great number of Americans concerned about the direction of our country. The House healthcare bill passed with only a couple votes to spare. The Senate bill barely passed, with every Republican standing in opposition. Most polls show the country split down the middle about whether they support the Administration's plan for reform.

With so much on the line, Americans on both sides of the political spectrum are upset. The healthcare fight in Washington has all the appearances of a "winner takes all" battle. The townhalls this summer showed how concerned people were with both the content of the bills and how they were moving through Congress.

Now, in state capitols across the country, state legislators are preparing legislation that would exempt their constituents from the burdensome new mandates that could be created by these bills. They are standing on the 10th amendment, insisting that the federal government does not have the right to impose a national mandate to purchase government approved health insurance. Next week in Harrisburg state senators and representatives will stand on the steps of the capitol to formally introduce their bills to uphold freedom in our state.

This week I joined my colleagues in supporting a resolution reaffirming the commitment of the U.S. House of Representatives to the 10th amendment and the Constitution's insistence that Washington has a limited role to play in governing our nation.

Respect for the Constitution doesn't mean that Congress has no role in reforming our healthcare system. I believe there is broad agreement on a number of issues but since Republicans and many Democrats were locked out of the negotiations, we did not get bills that could get the kind of bipartisan backing that would reassure the American public.

I believe healthcare reform based on the principles of the Constitution will mean that individual states come to different conclusions. We can have national agreement on many issues, but the people of Massachusetts and the people of Pennsylvania should have the right to be different.

Congressman Joe Pitts is a Republican who represents Pennsylvania's 16th Congressional District in parts of Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties.

It seems like just yesterday we were debating the 2009-10 General Fund budget, but it's almost time to begin work on the 2010-11 state budget.

Gov. Ed Rendell will deliver his annual budget address to a joint session of the General Assembly at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the chamber of the House of Representatives, the governor's office announced.

The last budget was adopted 101 days after the new fiscal year began because 1) the previous budget finished $3.25 billion in the red and 2) Rendell is a lame duck and 3) the current Legislative leadership is inept.

Has anything changed since last year? The current budget deficit is projected at a measly $500 million. Rendell is still a lame duck. The same Legislative leadership is in place.

We also have the added fun of 2010 being an election year when all 203 members of the House and 25 members of the Senate face the voters. And we've seen what kind of mood voters are in with recent elections in Virginia, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

So grab some popcorn, tune in to the Pennsylvania Cable Network on Feb. 9 and enjoy the show.

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

President Obama will need several props to get him through his first State of the Union address, including lifejackets, a box of teabags, a paper shredder, and a new "No Fly" list, says conservative activist Betsy McCaughey.

Jon Stewart can't believe Barack Obama took his TelePrompTer along during a visit to a grade-school classroom. Talk about an empty suit. This guy can't talk to sixth-graders without reading someone else's words.

Do you have a question about regional, state or national politics? Tony Phyrillas has the answers and will respond to your question via video posted online at The Mercury’s Web site. If you would like The Mercury's award-winning political columnist and blogger to respond to your question about current topics, e-mail him at tphyrillas@gmail.com and look for Tony's video response on The Mercury's Web site, www.pottsmerc.com

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)— the nation's largest nonpartisan individual membership association of state legislators — congratulates Pennsylvania State Reps. Matthew Baker and Curt Schroder for filing House Bills 2053 and 2179, which protect the right of individuals to make their own health care choices.

Pennsylvania joins 31 other states where legislators have introduced, or will introduce, legislation modeled after ALEC's Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act, according to a press release issued today by ALEC.

Under the legislation, any state attempt to require an individual to purchase health insurance — or forbid an individual from purchasing services outside of the required health care system — would be rendered unconstitutional. The measure may also cause a federalism clash if Congress passes a law with either of these provisions.

Baker and Schroder will hold a joint press conference Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg to discuss their efforts.

It's the fourth quarter and the home team is down by four touchdowns. Democrats will tray to salvage the 2010 political season? Too little, too late. Republicans will take back control of the Senate in November.

Monday, January 25, 2010

The United States could do no better than 8th place on the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom, jointly published by The Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal.

And if Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats have anything to say about it, the U.S. could tumble further down on the list.

For the 16th consecutive year, Hong Kong ranked No. 1 as the world's freest economy, according to the 2010 Index of Economic Freedom.

Hong Kong's "economic freedom score" is 89.7, making its economy the freest among the 179 countries ranked. Singapore retains the second place ranking, followed by Australia and New Zealand. The United States ranks 8th place - behind Canada!

Here's what the authors of the Index had to say about the U.S.:

Its score is 2.7 points lower than last year, reflecting notable decreases in financial freedom, monetary freedom, and property rights. The United States has fallen to 2nd place out of three countries in the North America region.

The U.S. government's interventionist responses to the financial and economic crisis that began in 2008 have significantly undermined economic freedom and long-term prospects for economic growth, according to the authors. "Economic freedom (in the United States) has declined in seven of the 10 categories measured in the Index."

The Index says Hong Kong's "competitive tax regime, respect for property rights, and flexible labor market, coupled with an educated and highly motivated workforce, have stimulated an innovative, prosperous economy." The Index also notes that Hong Kong's legal and regulatory framework for the financial sector is "transparent and efficient."

And then there was one ... Another No. 1 weekend at the box office for "Avatar," which added another $34.9 million to its total, bringing its six-week gross to $551.7 million, topping "The Dark Night" for second place. Only "Titanic" stands in the way of "Avatar" becoming the highest-grossing domestic film of all time. The record stood since 1997 and it's fitting that James Cameron would top "Titanic" with "Avatar."

Brandon Gray, who tracks films for BoxOfficeMojo.com predicts "Avatar" will surpass "Titanic" in two weeks to capture the all-time domestic record. "Avatar" has already passed "Titanic" as the most successful film outside the United States and will set the all-time worldwide box-office record ($1.84 billion) any day now.

Avatar kept trucking over the weekend, boasting not only the biggest gross by far but also the smallest decline among nationwide releases. James Cameron's juggernaut calmed by just 18 percent, which was almost as small as Titanic at the same point. Raking in $34.9 million, Avatar broke the record for sixth weekend gross formerly held by Titanic's $25.2 million (though Titanic retains the crown in terms of estimated attendance).

On Saturday, its 37th day, Avatar surpassed The Dark Knight's $533.3 million total to become the second highest-grossing movie of all time, though, in terms of attendance, it likely hasn't yet cracked the Top 50. At its current trajectory, Avatar will exceed Titanic's $600.8 million total within two weeks. In 38 days, Avatar's tally stands at $551.7 million, 80 percent of which from 3D presentations (including 16 percent from IMAX venues alone).

Overseas, Avatar had another $100 million plus gross, easing just 16 percent from holdovers alone and setting a new sixth week benchmark. On Saturday, it laid claim to a record that was once deemed unobtainable: biggest foreign gross ever, eclipsing Titanic's $1.24 billion. Through Sunday, Avatar has tallied nearly $1.29 billion. Italy was its top market of the week with $13.3 million (down only eight percent), while China was second with $12.5 million (off 31 percent for a record-breaking $103.1 million total), despite the communist government stripping it of its 2D screens, and France was third with $10 million (down ten percent). Worldwide, Avatar is a smidgen behind Titanic's $1.84 billion and will handily achieve the top spot on Monday.

Charles Krauthammer is amused by the reaction of top Democratic Party officials and their media allies to the crushing defeat (and repudiation of Barack Obama) in Massachusetts.

From Krauthammer's latest column:

After Coakley's defeat, Obama pretended that the real cause was a generalized anger and frustration "not just because of what's happened in the last year or two years, but what's happened over the last eight years."

Let's get this straight: The antipathy to George W. Bush is so enduring and powerful that ... it just elected a Republican senator in Massachusetts? Why, the man is omnipotent.

And the Democrats are delusional: Scott Brown won by running against Obama, not Bush. He won by brilliantly nationalizing the race, running hard against the Obama agenda, most notably Obamacare. Killing it was his No. 1 campaign promise.

Bull's eye. An astonishing 56 percent of Massachusetts voters, according to Rasmussen Reports, called health care their top issue. In a Fabrizio, McLaughlin & Associates poll, 78 percent of Brown voters said their vote was intended to stop Obamacare. Only a quarter of all voters in the Rasmussen poll cited the economy as their top issue, nicely refuting the Democratic view that Massachusetts was just the usual anti-incumbent resentment you expect in bad economic times.

Brown ran on a very specific, very clear agenda: Stop health care. Don't Mirandize terrorists. Don't raise taxes; cut them. And no more secret backroom deals with special interests.

The Delaware County Daily Times puts a fitting epitaph on Obamacare in a recent editorial:

Health care reform died for the umpteenth time on Tuesday, strangled in its crib by a mix of vindictiveness and ineptitude. It was stillborn.

What was supposed to be the crown jewel of President Obama's first year in office was killed on the first anniversary of his arrival at the White House. The place of death was Massachusetts, where the electorate awarded an open U.S. Senate seat to Republican Scott Brown, making him the 41st GOP vote in that body and ending the 60-vote filibuster-proof majority enjoyed by the Democrats.

The fact that 60 votes are required to get anything substantive done in "the world's greatest deliberative body" is one symptom of the malady that contributed to reform's death. Another is the mixture of money, greed and fear that motivates members of Congress in this age, which resulted in two separate bills approved by each chamber that, as of this writing, cannot be reconciled into one.

Three candidates are seeking the Republican Party nomination for the 147th state House seat vacated by former state Rep. Bob Mensch after he was elected to the state Senate last September.

The 147th District is arguably the safest Republican House district in Pennsylvania, so whoever emerges with the party backing will probably be heading to Harrisburg.

A special election will be held on the same day as the Primary Election.

Marcy Toepel, first deputy to the Montgomery County Recorder of Deeds, is the highest profile candidate so far. The other candidates are Ken Fody, a former legislative aide to the late state Sen. Ed Holl, and Nicholas Fountain, a political newcomer.

The 147th District includes Lower Frederick, Marlborough, Perkiomen, Salford, Schwenksville, Skippack, Upper Hanover and Upper Salford townships as well as East Greenville, Red Hill and Green Lane boroughs.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Even before the humiliating loss in Massachusetts, where the Senate race was clearly a referendum on Obama's policies, the president's job approval numbers have declined steadily throughout his first year in office.

A year ago this week, 44% were in the "strongly approve" column while just 18% said they "strongly disapprove" of Obama. That was a positive swing of 26 points.

From Rasmussen Reports:

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Sunday shows that 24% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-one percent (41%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -17.

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Why Politics Matter

“Politics, the crooked timber of our communal lives, dominates everything because, in the end, everything – high and low and, most especially, high – lives or dies by politics. You can have the most advanced and efflorescent of cultures. Get your politics wrong, however, and everything stands to be swept away. This is not ancient history. This is Germany 1933.” –– Charles Krauthammer

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About Me

Tony A. Phyrillas is a leading conservative columnist, commentator and blogger based in Pennsylvania.
A veteran newspaperman with 33 years experience as a reporter, editor, photographer and columnist, Phyrillas received a first place award in 2010 for best column from the Pennsylvania Associated Press Managing Editors and a first place award in 2007 for Best Opinion Column from Suburban Newspapers of America. He was recognized for column writing in 2007 by the Society of Professional Journalists, Keystone Chapter and in 2006 by the SPJ Greater Philadelphia Chapter.
Phyrillas is ranked among the most influential political bloggers in Pennsylvania by BlogNetNews.com.
Odyssey: The World of Greece magazine named Phyrillas one of the leading Greek-American bloggers in the world.
A Penn State University graduate, Phyrillas is the editor/content manager of The Mercury, a two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning daily newspaper in Pottstown, Pa.
Phyrillas made frequent appearances on talk radio and as a panelist on the "Journalists Roundtable" program on the Pennsylvania Cable Network.
He co-hosted a weekly radio program on WPAZ 1370 AM for 2 years.